1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for acquiring scanned image data relating to an external body portion and/or a product applied thereto, wherein the process involves the use of a transfer member. Such a process could include sending of the scanned information from a first location to a second location remote from the first location. Another aspect of the present invention relates a process for providing a treatment recommendation for the external body portion and/or monitoring of the external body portion. An additional aspect relates to evaluating a product.
2. Description of Related Art
Accurate diagnosis of cosmetic and dermatological related conditions often requires consultations with professionals having the requisite level of proper skill and training. In the past, such consultations required the individual seeking advice to travel to a site and conduct a personal meeting with a professional who would visualize the individual's skin condition, for example, sometimes with special instruments, and prescribe a corrective treatment plan involving one or more cosmetic and/or dermatological products.
Recently, advances in technology have led to a number of attempts at obviating the need for some of these personal, face-to-face meetings requiring travel. In particular, some consultants provide remote cosmetic or dermatological consultations where the individual in need of the consultation can be located at a geographic location different from that of the skilled cosmetician or dermatologist. These attempts have been primarily limited because there has been no easy way of sending all of the necessary information to the remote professional.
GB 2 288 511 discloses a method and apparatus for use in diagnosing medical conditions, such as skin conditions, where there are visual symptoms. This reference discloses operating either a video camera, a camcorder, or a digital still camera to generate an electrical signal that is digitized, compressed, and transmitted to an expert consultant, such as a dermatologist. This technique, however, suffers from a number of drawbacks and limitations. In particular, it is time consuming to operate the video camera, run the software necessary to digitize and compress the image captured by the camera, and then send the compressed image to the consultant. An even more significant limitation relates to the fact that there is no easy way to standardize the image. For example, incorrect lighting, inferior equipment, non-uniform cameras and software programs, incorrect camera operation, or other variables may produce a video image that does not clearly show all of the details of the original area that was recorded. In some cases, the video image submitted to the remote professional might be either completely unusable or result in an incorrect evaluation being made.
Another more simplistic approach involves a consumer filling out a preestablished questionnaire and then sending the completed questionnaire (via a delivery service or the Internet) to a cosmetic product distributor that suggests one or more cosmetic products after reviewing the information provided on the completed questionnaire. Such a process can provide general information useful in advising about some types of basic cosmetic products, but such information is limited by the level of detail in the description provided by the individual and is, therefore, inadequate for many treatments, especially those that are highly specialized and advanced. In addition, both the completion of the questionnaire by the consumer and the evaluation of completed questionnaire by the cosmetic distributor can be time consuming.
In addition to the limitations associated with current means of remote diagnosis, there are also drawbacks associated with some diagnostic methods used during face-to-face consultations with a professional. For example, to examine certain types of skin conditions, some dermatologists use very specialized photographic equipment to obtain a photograph of a skin region being examined. In using one such professional photographic system, called DERMAPHOT, a uniquely designed camera lens is placed in contact with the skin and light is emitted through the lens before taking a photograph of the skin. This technique, however, suffers from a number of drawbacks and limitations. In particular, it is time consuming to properly set up the system, correctly operate the camera, and request a service to develop the film. An even more significant limitation relates to the fact that the specialized photographic equipment is very expensive. Further, the resolution of photographic images obtained with such systems is not always acceptable.
In light of the foregoing, there is a need in the art for improving processes used for collecting data relating to a person's external body portion.